Hopefully, their "prediction" has failed!
by
Anthony Akinola
There is hardly any doubt that the United States of America has made outstanding contributions to the world, especially in the area of technology. However, their penchant for"mischief" is equally awesome. They have sponsored the overthrow of governments they were opposed to and their greatest achievement in mischief was the collapse of the Soviet Union, their most feared historical rival in the quest for world domination.
Thus, when a prediction or suggestion was made sometime in 2005 by an American Think Tank that the Federal Republic of Nigeria could collapse by 2015, there were not a few Nigerians who took it seriously. Nigerians talked openly of the "American prediction", and there were sadly those who wished it to manifest.
There is the saying by the Yoruba, roughly translated, that the testicles of the ram could be swinging here and there but would not fall off. This saying is applicable to Nigeria, not least because of the challenges that the nation has been confronted with in recent years – challenges which undoubtedly brought doubts of survival to even the most ardent patriot of the Nigerian state.
First, there was this still ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East of Nigeria. The Boko Haram insurgency has been the most deadly challenge facing Nigeria since the Civil War of 1967-70. Boko Haram was initially perceived to be intended against Christians by Islamic fanatics, but the "Movement" has since revealed itself to be a terrorist organisation against virtually everybody or anything decent. Both Christians and Muslims have been at the receiving end of its atrocities .Boko Haramism has been described as a serious political and social problem emanating from the corruption and injustice in the Nigerian system.
Second, what has been some kind of a nuisance organisation appellated the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB)-a creation of the tyranny of Sani Abacha- received a major boost when thousands of Igbo youths began to openly demonstrate in favour of separation. The demonstrations began shortly after the presidential election of May 2015 which swept the corrupt and inept Jonathan administration out of power. The Igbo who were assumed as having been prominent actors in the six years of Goodluck Jonathan's presidency were assumed to be protesting against marginalisation in the current dispensation.
Of course, the issue of "marginalisation" cannot be swept under the carpet, and improvements in our federal relations must be an ongoing process. There can never be peace in a system where one group perceives itself as playing a second role to other(s). The underlying factors leading to a revival of an event which once claimed hundreds of thousands of human lives must not be ignored; the search for peace, peaceful co-existence, and a balanced federation, must always be the priority of any government in our type of federation.
Historically, Igbo leadership has played a pivotal role in the survival of the Nigerian federation. Who can ever forget the centralising roles played by the great Nnamdi Azikiwe in ensuring unity in Nigeria,in an era when the other members of our historical triumvirate – Sir Ahmadu Bello far more than Chief Obafemi Awolowo – tended more towards their regions of origin? Except in a nation where the study of history has become unimportant, who also can forget that Igbo leadership were once more disposed towards unitary government not least because of their assumption that unitarism promoted national unity?
Igbo interests are better served in a peaceful Nigeria. They have exceptional talents, as demonstrated by their innovations during the Civil War, that can propel our nation to glorious heights. As I have repeatedly stated in articles, the Igbo have contributed to the demographic integration of Nigeria more than any other ethnic group. There is hardly any town or village in Nigeria where one would not find an Igbo doing his or her business. Those misguidedly urging the Igbo to return to the "heartland" would have forgotten that those of them who had businesses in other regions of the federation quickly returned to resuscitate their businesses, even in the very month the Civil War 1967-70, ended.
The psychological scar of the Civil War will be there for a very long time, however the redemption of inter-group affections can be helped with a deliberate policy of ensuring that the successor to Muhammadu Buhari, as President of the Nigerian federation, would be a Nigerian citizen of Igbo origin. As one unapologetic advocate of a rotational presidency, that is the position I shall be supporting in a future debate over the issue.
Meanwhile, we must protect the unity and territorial integrity of our federation. While freedoms of speech and association are the essential components of democracy, such freedoms do not extend beyond the boundaries of constitutionality. It is treason for any one or group to engage in an open campaign for the collapse of our federation; it can only be an irresponsible government that will condone such an irresponsibility.
[END]
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